Athabasca Falls – An Influential Attractive Waterfall
Tauheed Ahmad Nawaz
Athabasca Falls is a waterfall in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River. This is approximately 30 kilometers south of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, and just west of the Ice Fields Parkway. Athabasca Falls is an influential, attractive waterfall, because it is not recognized so much for the height of the falls (23 meters).
It is recognized for its force due to the large quantity of water falling into the gorge. However, even on a cold morning, when river levels tend to be at their lowest point, copious amounts of water flow over the falls. The river ‘falls’ over a layer of hard quartzite and through the softer limestone below, carving the short gorge and several potholes.
The falls can be securely watched and snapped from numerous viewing platforms and walking trails around the falls. The rocks near the brink of the falls may look tempting to you, but they can be deadly slippery, as many an unlucky soul has realized only too late. So it is highly suggested that you don’t become an Athabasca Falls statistic.
Over the years, the waterfall has moved back and forth in its search. For the path of least resistance, cutting and abandoning channels as it goes. One such channel has been established with stairs and trails for easy exploration. It also gives you access to viewpoints at the bottom of the main canyon and to the riverbank beyond.
Therefore, access is from the adjacent parking lot, which leads off Highway 93-A just northeast of the falls. Highway 93-A takes off from the close Ice fields Parkway and crosses the falls on the way north to the town of Jasper. Whitewater rafting often starts below the falls to travel downstream on the Athabasca River to Jasper.
Athabasca Falls is not the highest or the widest waterfall in the Canadian Rockies, but it is the most powerful. Athabasca Falls is one of the major tourist sights, and is extremely busy on midsummer days. If you want to avoid the rush, then you do the visit in the early morning, or after dinner time. Hence, the maximum trail system is well paved, but stairs limit access for people in wheelchairs.
Without a doubt, this is a wonderful picnic spot, with a lot of picnic tables, a kitchen shelter, and washrooms. It is a Class 5 waterfall, with a drop of 80 feet and a width of 60 feet. It is observed that the majority of people who visit Athabasca Falls do not give it sufficient time. They just rush to the falls, take a photograph, and they’re gone.
Why not poke around? Give some more time to explore the zone, looking for signs of abandoned waterfalls and other water-worn rocks. Stand in the spray at the closest viewpoint, or just hang out and enjoy the view.
